Faculty

Carla A Mazefsky, PhD

Carla A Mazefsky, PhD

Nancy J. Minshew, MD Chair in Autism Research and Professor of Psychiatry, Clinical and Translational Science, and Psychology

Contact Details

3811 O'Hara St.
Pittsburgh
 
PA
 
15213
Email
Website
REAACT
Assistant
Katharine Zeglen
zeglenkn2@upmc.edu

Education & Training

PhD
Child Clinical Psychology, Virginia Commonwealth University
Clinical Psychology, Brown University School of Medicine
Clinical Psychology, Brown University School of Medicine
Psychiatric Genetics, Virginia Institute for Psychiatric and Behavioral Genetics, Virginia Commonwealth University
Clinical Psychology, Virginia Treatment Center for Children, Virginia Commonwealth University

Professional Affiliations

Member, International Society for Autism Research

Selected Honors & Awards

Slifka/Ritvo Award for Innovation in Autism Research, International Society for Autism Research and the Slifka Foundation

Research Interests

Emotion reactivity and regulation; Measure development; Suicide in autism
Selected Research Publications & Products
  1. Antezana L, Conner CM, Eldeeb S, Turecki S, Siegel M, Karim HT, Mazefsky CA. Using machine learning to identify features associated with different types of self-injurious behaviors in autistic youth. Psychological Medicine. 2025 Jan;55:e98.
  2. White SW, Conner CM, Beck KB, Mazefsky CA. Efficacy of the emotion awareness and skills enhancement program in autism: A randomized controlled trial. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2025, Jul. Online First.
  3. Mazefsky CA, Conner CM, Siegle GJ, Scott LN, Bylsma LM, Beck KB, Antezana L, Hu X, Cohen A, Borue X, Handen B. Advancing research on suicide and mental health in autistic adults through a Research Domain Criteria (RDoC)-inspired framework. Autism in Adulthood. 2025. In Press.
  4. Beck KB, MacKenzie KT, Kumar T, Breitenfeldt KE, Chang J, Conner CM, Mandell DS, White SW, Mazefsky CA. The world's really not set up for the neurodivergent person: Understanding emotion dysregulation from the perspective of autistic adults. Autism in Adulthood. 2024 June. https://doi.org/10.1089/aut.2023.02
  5. Mazefsky CA, Yu L, White SW, Siegel M, Pilkonis PA. The Emotion Dysregulation Inventory: Psychometric properties and item response theory calibration in an autism spectrum disorder sample. Autism Res. 2018 Jun;11(6):928-941. PMID: 29624893.

Clinical Interests

Emotion reactivity and regulation; Adolescence and adulthood in autism; Outcome measurement
Selected Clinical Publications & Products
  1. Conner CM, Ionadi A, Mazefsky CA. Recent research points to a clear conclusion: Autistic people are thinking about, and dying by, suicide at high rates. Positive approaches. 2023 Nov; (12) 3: 69-76. https://www.myodp.org/mod/book/view.php? id=48947&chapterid=1055
  2. Beck KB, Conner CM, White, SW, Mazefsky, CA. Mindfulness here and now: Strategies for helping adolescents with autism. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2020 Oct (10): 1125-1127J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry, Volume 59, Issue 10, 1125 - 1127

Education Interests

Research mentorship; Clinical psychology intern mentorship; Medical student/resident/fellow education

Recently Published in Autism Research & Psychological Medicine: Advances in Understanding of Self-Injury and Adult Outcome Measurement to Improve Quality of Life

Drs. Antezana, Conner and Mazefsky

Recent studies led by Carla Mazefsky, PhD (Nancy J. Minshew, MD Chair in Autism Research and Professor of Psychiatry, Clinical and Translational Science, and Psychology), highlight current advances in autism research. Dr. Mazefsky is an expert in emotion regulation in autism, which had been previously understudied in autism research. She directs the Regulation of Emotion in Autistic Adults, Children, and Teens...

Three Psychiatry Postdoctoral Research Trainees Receive University of Pittsburgh Postdoctoral Association Awards

Drs. Ligia Antezana, Carolina Soares and Lindsay Taraban

Congratulations to Ligia Antezana, PhD; Carolina Soares, PhD; and Lindsay Taraban, PhD, who received Best Poster Presentation Awards at the University of Pittsburgh Postdoctoral Association 2025 Postdoctoral Data & Dine Symposium. Dr. Antezana, Dr. Soares, and Dr. Taraban were counted among 11 total award recipients selected from 130 submissions. Dr. Antezana is a clinical psychologist who conducts research in the...

From Surviving to Thriving in the Autism Community

Mosaic of Photos from the From Surviving to Thriving Event

The University of Pittsburgh’s National Institute of Mental Health-funded Autism Center of Excellence (ACE) recently hosted “From Surviving to Thriving: Lived Experiences and Practical Tips for the Autism Community,” a special event focused on thriving within the autistic community. From Surviving to Thriving featured speakers with varied connections to autism, with the goal of highlighting how to support positive...

Pitt Psychiatry Awarded $11.5M National Institute of Mental Health Center Grant Focused on Investigating Emotional and Mental Health in Autistic Adults

ACE Center Grant Investigators

The National Institute of Mental Health has awarded the University of Pittsburgh Department of Psychiatry an Autism Center of Excellence (P50) grant to fund “Mental Health in Autistic Adults: An RDoC Approach.” The University of Pittsburgh Autism Center of Excellence (ACE) will be led by Carla Mazefsky, PhD (Professor of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Clinical and Translational Science). The University of Pittsburgh...